Non-warning chime-clock.



W.'E. PORTER.

NON-WARNING CHIME CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 31. 1911.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON E. PORTER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO NEW HAVEN CLOCK00., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

NON-WARNING CHIME-CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed October 31, 1917. Serial No. 199,457.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,1VILSON E. PORTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven,

and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inNon- -Warning Chime-Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following. whentaken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this applicationand represent, in

Figure 1 a view in rear elevation of a chime-clock movement constructedin ac cordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 av broken plan view thereof, on an enlarged scale, showing therear movementplate, the chime-drum driving wheel, the chime count-wheel,the chime guard-wheel and the chime count-hook, of my improvedmechanism.

Fig. 3 a detached view in front elevation of the chime-drum drivingwheel, the chime count-wheel, the chilne guard-wheel, and the chimecount-hook, showing the parts at rest.

Fig. 4 a view thereof in inside elevation.

Fig. 5 a view thereof in vertical central section.

Fig. 6 a detached perspective view of the chime count-wheel showin thecount-hook in broken lines as being lifted by the rearwardly inclinedadvancing wall of one of the stop-notches in the wheel.

Fig. 7 a corresponding view of the chime guard-wheel.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of chime-clocks inwhich the so called warning function is dispensed with and the releaseof the chime-train by the time-train is effected in one step instead ofin two steps as in warning clocks, the object being to provide simpleand reliable means for preventing the jamming, and hence the stopping,of the chime-mechanism in case the chime-train thereof is releasedaccidentally, that is to say, in any other way than by the normal actionof the timetrain.

\Vith these ends in view, my invention consists in a chime-clock havingcertain details of construction and combinations of parts as will behereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

As herein shown, the advancing walls 2 of the chime-stop notches 3, 4, 5and 6 of the chime count-wheel 7 are rearwardly inclined so as to act ascams upon the finger 8 of the chime count-hook 9 for lifting the sameinto position to clear the guard-fingers 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the chimeguard wheel 1 1 under certain conditions not provided for by thetime-train which ordinarily lifts the said. hook high enough to clearthe said guardfingers concurrently with its release of the chime-train.The said guard-wheel 14: is mounted so as to turn freely upon theannular shoulder 15 of a hub 16 to the annular shoulder 17 of which thechime count-wheel 7 is staked. The said stop-notches 3, 4, 5 and 6 ofthe count-whee1 7 are separated by peripheral sustaining surfaces ordwells 18, 19, 20 and 21 progressively increasing in length as requiredfor sounding the chime on the quarters and the hour in the usual manner.The rearwardly inclined advancing walls 2 aforesaid, are, in effect,continued outwardly in the forward edges of lifting fingers 22 virtuallyforming parts of the dwells 18-, 19, 20 and 21 aforesaid. A spring 23encircling the hub 16, is connected at one end to a screw 24 in theguard-wheel 14 and at its opposite end to the spoke 25 of a chime-drumdriving wheel 26 staked upon the rear end of the said hub 16 which ismounted upon the projecting rear end of the shaft 28 of the chime-trainwhich comprises, as shown, the said shaft 28, the pinion 29 thereon, awheel 30 which meshes into the said pinion 29, an arbor 31 which carriesthe said wheel 30, and a pinion 32 which latter meshes into the mainwheel 33 of the chime-train. A stop-pin 31 in the count-wheel 7 projectsinwardly through a slot 35 in the guard-wheel 1% and limits theoscillatory movement thereof. The normal tendency of the guard-wheelspring 23 is to hold the same in the position in. which itsguard-fingers 10, 11, 12 and 13 bridge the respective stop-notches 3, 1,5 and (3 of the count-wheel 7. The chime-drum drivingwheel 26 meshesinto a wheel 36 at the inner end of the chime-drum 37 which is furnishedvith pins 38 engaging with fingers 39 depending from chime-hammer plates40 carrying chime-hammer wires 41 mounting hammers 42. The saidchime-hammer plates 10 are themselves mounted upon a stud 4C3 projectingfrom the rear movement-plate 44. The hammer-plates 40 are also formedwith hammer-tails 15 normally resting against a buffer 46. The chimecount-hook 9 is mounted upon an arbor 47 periodically operated by thetime-train which is of any approved construction, and therefore notshown.

In the ordinary operation of the mechanism described, the count-hook 9is abruptly lifted every quarter hour through the agency of the timetrain and concurrently with the releasing of the chime-train thereby.Supposing the finger 8 of the count-hook 9 to be in the stop-notch 3shown in the drawings, the said finger S will be lifted as described soas to clear the guard-finger 10 of the guard-wheel H the sprirg 23 ofwhich will quickly assert itself to rock the guard-wheel in the forwarddirection, whereby its finger 10 will be carried under the finger S ofthe count-hook and bridge the notch 3, while at the same time itsfingers ll, 12 and 18 are shot into place to bridge the stopnotches 4, 5and 6, though to no purpose. The wheels 7 and 1% will now be rotatedtogether by the action of the chime-train, whereby the said finger 8will ride over the adjacent lifting-finger 22 of the count-wheel anddrop therefrom upon the dwell 18 of the said wheel. As the two wheelsare thus rotated together, the advancing edge of the guard-finger 11engages with the counthook finger 8, the spring 23 yields and thefurther rotation of the guardwheel H is stopped. The finger 8 of thecounthook, after a brief interval, drops into the stop-notch 4 and thuspermits the arbor d7 to be turned as required for stopping thechime-train. This sequence of eyents is reproduced on each quarter hourand constitutes the normal operation of the chime-mechanism.

Now in the event of the accidental release of the chime-train instead ofits normal release by the time-train, the count-wheel 7 will be startedin revolution without preparation therefor by the normal lifting,through the agency of the time-train, of the count-hook 9, the liftingof which in the normal operation of the clock, is concurrent with thestarting of the count-wheel. The count-wheel having been accidentallystarted, as described, the rearwardly inclined advancing wall 2 of theparticular count-wheel notch in which the finger S of the counthookhappens to be at the moment, will act as a cam to lift the hooksufficiently to permit the complementary finger of the guardwheel let toshoot under it, and thus permit the chime-mechanism to function properlyas a chiming-mechanism, but out of order as to time. If the walls 2 ofthe stop-notches 3, 4, 5 and 6 were not rearwardly inclined as shown anddescribed, the starting of the count-wheel out of time would result inthe engagement of the advancing wall of the count-wheel notch with theface of the of the count-wheel 7, as

count-hook finger and jam or block, and so stop the chime-train beyondthe power of the time-train to automatically release it on the nextquarter hour. Supposing the chime-mechanism to be thus jammed, it mustbe released by someone having sutlieient knowledge of the constructionand operation of chime-clocks to locate the dilliculty and remove it. Onthe other hand, under my invention, in case the chimee'ncchanism isaccidentally started, the countwhecl automatically lifts the count-hookand permits the chiming-1mechanism to run through at least one chimingphase, or perhaps more, dependent upon circumstances, but in any eventno jamming or blocking can take place. Nothing more serious cantherefore happen in case the chiming-mechanism is accidentally started,than the ale-synchronizing of the chime and time-trains, and this can beremedied by any user of the clock by manipulating the hands thereof.

I claim l. A non-warning chime-clock characterized by having itschiare-mechanism constructed and adapted to lift the chime counthookinto position to clear the chime countwheel in case the chime-1nechanismis accidentally started, and therefore at a time when the saidcount-hook has not been lifted by the action of the time-train to clearthe count-wheel preparatory to the starting of the chime-train.

2. In a non-warning chime-clock, the combination with a chimecount-wheel having stop-notches separated by peripheral dwells andlifting-fingers, the advancing walls and the forward edges of the saidstop-notches and lifting-fingers being rearwardly inclined; of aspring-actuated chime guard-wheel located adjacent to the said chimecount-wheel and formed with guardfingers corresponding in position tothe respective stop-notches of the chime countwheel, and a count-wheelhook formed with a finger adapted to co-act with the said count andguard wheels, and normally lifted to clear the same by the time-trainconcurrently with the operation thereof to release the chime-train, thesaidcount-wheel hook being lifted by the rearwardlv inclined advancingwalls of the said stop-notches and lifting-fingers in case thechime-train is started otherwise than by the normal action of thetime-train, whereby the jamming of the chime-train is avoided.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

lVILSON E. PORTER. lVitnesses:

C. L. \Vnnn, M. P. NICHOLS.

Goples 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

